Grocery baskets will have more than just turkey and trimmings this holiday season.

Conagra Brands Inc.
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says Healthy Choice brand bowls are popular items over the holidays, as diners look to eat something nutritious amid all of the dairy-filled, gluten-heavy, sugary nibbles that are so readily available.

“People are trying so hard to stay on their lifestyle diets with parties and treats at work,” said Bob Nolan, Conagra’s senior vice president of insights and analytics. Demand for Healthy Choice climbs as diners try to maintain balance and search for ways to offset overindulgence, he said.

“Part of our role is that we have products to help you stay on your goals and plans,” he said. “In January, Healthy Choice goes through the roof.”

From paleo to keto to Whole30 or gluten-free, more diners are opting for different dietary regimens, not because of allergies or other health-related reasons, but to focus on wellness and build a more wholesome lifestyle. Major food companies are taking note and introducing products within existing brands to meet the needs of as many of these diets as possible.

Around the holidays, hosts are preparing menus, guests are deciding what to bring to dinner parties, and diners are determining what’s most worth the inevitable dining splurge.

For those who are dairy-free, the holidays can be particularly hard because they can’t partake in many of the dessert options, Nolan said. Conagra has added Reddi-wip dairy topping flavors in almond and coconut, which are non-dairy, to help fill the void.

Side dishes are also a good place to start when considering a menu for everyone, said Nolan.

“The pace of change is at an all-time high because historically brands led the movement on trends. Today consumers are leading and brands have to catch up.”
Steve Barr, consumer markets leader, PwC

Many major food companies are struggling to spur of growth, and strategic acquisitions, usually in the healthy space, is one way to achieve them, according to PwC. For example, General Mills Inc.’s
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purchase of Annie’s and Larabar added some healthy and organic items to a list of brands that also includes Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Haagen-Dazs.

“The DNA of these legacy consumer packaged goods brands has been transformed by the focus on health and wellness,” said Steve Barr, consumer markets leader at PwC and an 18-year practicing vegan. For many CPG companies, “health and wellness” is the top growth category.

“The pace of change is at an all-time high because historically brands led the movement on trends,” Barr said. “Today consumers are leading and brands have to catch up.”

Data provided by CivicScience, a consumer intelligence research firm, shows 28% of adults are willing to order a vegetarian or vegan menu item at a restaurant, whether they strictly follow these diets or not, and 22% of those who plan to attend holiday festivities this year will bring a vegan or vegetarian dish.

“We’re seeing consumers demand numerous additional diet types, fueled by social media and data-driven results on health, and the food industry is responding in a major way,” said Todd Dipaola, chief executive of inMarket, which analyzes anonymous location data.

In a report about “vegetarian-leaning” shoppers, inMarket found that group is spending most money in specialty chains like Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.
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and Amazon.com Inc.’s
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Whole Foods Market, as well as Kroger Co.
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Publix and Vons.

“At the retail level, we’re seeing the face of grocery evolve to give access to more consumers who don’t live in ‘Whole Foods areas’ or who don’t want to spend their whole paycheck at a specialty grocer,” he said. “At the product level, a great example is cauliflower rice, which is popular with paleo and low-carb fans.”

Green Giant, which is now a B&G Foods Inc.
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brand, is heavily focused on cauliflower.

“It’s versatile,” said Jordan Greenberg, vice president and general manager at Green Giant. “Cauliflower can be a side dish, a main dish, or an ingredient. People feel like they’re adding vegetables to their diet without sacrificing flavor.”

Green Giant has moved beyond frozen and canned vegetables and now offers its own protein bowls, cauliflower pizza crust, riced vegetables and veggie spirals.

Green Giant is sold all across the U.S., and Greenberg says one of its missions is to introduce more vegetables into people’s diets and provide education about how to be healthier.

At the same time, many people aren’t ready for anything too radical, like protein crisps made from recycled ingredients.

“We were pleasantly surprised when we introduced riced vegetables, the way they were accepted across the country,” Greenberg said. “These products, they’re comfortable with. As a country we know we don’t get enough vegetables in our diets. We offer it in a way that’s familiar.”

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